When it comes to Berliner Weisse beer, I’m tough guy to please. I like my “Champagne du Nord” (as Napoleon called the style) very sour, and low in alcohol. You know, like the original German examples. Berliner Weiss is currently all the rage, and while some American craft brewers get the sourness right, they just can’t seem to wrap their brains around low alcohol beer. There are a few exceptions, but they are, sadly, few.

The latest example to cross my path is Jekyll Tart Vise from the Jekyll Brewing Company of Alpharetta, Georgia. On the label, they call this a “raspberry tart ale”, and the beer is something like a Berliner Weisse “mit schuss”. In Berlin, it is common to add a dash of raspberry or woodruff syrup to your Berliner Weisse. Jekyll has already done it for you.

From the label:

This Berliner Weiss style ale is brewed to be refreshing, tart, and crushable. We complimented the tartness with a splash of raspberry for a subtle and pleasant twist. Tart Vise is built for the lawn, the beach, patios and tailgating.

Jekyll Tart Vise has an alcohol content of 4.4% by volume with 7 IBUs. The beer is brewed with white wheat and two row malt as well as real raspberry. I paid $6.50 for a 23-ounce draft mug at Taco Mac, a little high I think, but the beer is reasonable in cans at $9.99 a six-pack.

My mug of Jekyll Tart Vise arrived a soft reddish color with a frothy pink head and a light tartness in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a tart wheaty palate with moderate sourness and lush raspberry fruit, then a tart, slightly sour finish.

Two problems here. Jekyll Tart Vise is sour, but not sour enough for the style. I want a tarty tart tartness in the style, and this is only tart. Then too, the beer is too strong for the style at 4.5% by volume. The style demands 2.5% to 3%.

All that said, Jekyll Tart Vise is tasty and refreshing, and I enjoyed it. I would definitely buy this one again.

Update 1/25/2018: Jekyll beers are featured as Beers of the Month for January, 2018 at Taco Mac. I enjoyed Jekyll Tart Vise again as a Beer of the Month selection, and for an unchanged $6.50 enjoyed a 23-ounce mug with a free logo glass. It went well indeed with tacos and street corn, and actually seemed to me more tart than the last time I tried it. Bumping it up a half star as a result.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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